Lexington Avenue in New York gets a bad rap since it's the street along which the 6 subway line runs but the area between 70th and 80th Streets is chock full of beautiful shops. I took walk along the route on Saturday and stopped into a few of the gems including Lexington Gardens at 1011 Lexington Avenue, seen here.

Since most homes in New York don't actually have gardens, garden shops tend to carry a wide assortment of goods from vases and pots to full size trees and garden statues. And of course they can put together a beautiful bouquet for delivery.

I think this lion could look just as great in a home foyer, as it would in the garden.

The store is also famous for it's preserved trees and greenery. They never need to be watered so there is no worry about killing them which makes them perfect for people who travel frequently. They also don't need light so they're great for darker spaces.

The shop had a few pairs of foo dogs and cute little white pagoda salt and pepper shakers in addition to beautiful lamps and garden stools.

You really never know what you will find in Lexington Gardens.

Everywhere you looked, there was an even more beautiful display of branches. A sure sign of spring.

A great addition to Lexington Avenue is Archivia Books above, which specializes in "architecture, art, design, decorative arts, gardens and interiors" books. The Upper East Side has many interior design firms and is home to the New York School of Interior Design so it's a popular destination for designers and students. I love the window display of topiaries and garden plans.

Of course, my shopping trip wouldn't have been complete without picking up a few souvenirs along the way. The miniature rose bush was purchased from Windsor Florist on the corner of Lexington and 78th Street. It's one of my favorite little shops to pick up a little treat. The chartreuse pot was only $10 at Lexington Gardens but the pièce de résistance is the little notebook from Il Papiro covered in hand decorated marbled paper made in Italy. I could spend hours in this little jewel box shop looking at all the beautiful paper patterns.

The next time you are in New York, I hope you'll leave the pack on tourists on Fifth Avenue and head up to the unique and charming shops on Lexington. It's worth the trip!